Karaage (fried chicken) with basic miso soup
This fried chicken is surprisingly quick and easy, and is really delicious with rice and miso, although we also had a nice salad and some daikon (japanese radish) :-p
You can pick up the japanese ingredients in most big supermarkets, some organic shops, or specialist suppliers. We usually go to the Japan Centre or Rice and Wine in central London.
You can get various types of miso, so experiment, or use another type if you prefer. This recipe for miso soup is a basic one, you can add other things such as onion, spring onion, or tofu. This one is also a fairly subtle taste – I like it like this as it’s often very strong and overly salty in restaurants.
You can keep the miso soup simmering for a while, but it’s good to add the miso paste a few minutes before serving in order to maintain the taste. If you prefer to serve straight away then cook the soup once you start frying the chicken.
You can deep fry the chicken if you prefer, and karaage is usually deep fried, but we always shallow fry it as it’s easier. We used a large wide pan, so you may need to vary the amount of oil to suit whatever you are using – you want about a cm of oil in the bottom of the pan.
- Serves 2
- For the miso soup
- 350ml water
- 2 heaped tbsp dried wakame seaweed
- 1.5 tbsp shiro miso (white soy bean paste)
- 5g aburaage (deep fried soy bean curd)
- 1/2 tsp dashi
- For the karaage
- 300g chicken breast
- 5 tbsp plain flour
- 1 level tbsp corn flour or potato starch
- 3cm fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp mirin (sweet sake)
- 10 – 15 tbsp vegetable oil (or more if deep frying)
- Soak the wakame in cold water for 5 minutes, or hot water for 2 minutes.
- In a pan, add dashi to water and boil.
- Add aburaage and wakame and simmer for 1 minute.
- Add miso paste and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Soak the chicken in salted water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Grate the ginger and garlic and mix with the mirin and soy sauce.
- Rinse salt water off chicken and add to the mixture. Marinate, ideally for 1 hour, or use immediately if you don’t have time.
- In a clean plastic bag, mix the flour and corn flour.
- Add the chicken to the bag and mix until all pieces are well coated.
- Heat oil in a pan. When hot add chicken and fry until golden. Turn and fry other side until golden.
- Drain chicken on kitchen paper.
- Serve with miso and sticky rice.
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